Why Philosophy?

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Why Philosophy?
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Philosophy A study of the processes
governing thought and conduct. A system of
principles for the conduct of life. A study of
human morals.
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Philosophers are concerned with What kinds of
things exist? What can we know? What ought I to
do? Ethics or Moral Philosophy
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ETHICS A systematic account of right and
wrong. Ethics morals to philosophers
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You cant choose to have philosophical views or
not - EVERYONE HAS THEM. The question is
--- What are they? What are your views based
upon? HOW SHOULD WE TREAT ANIMALS - AND WHY?
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Aristotle gt Born 384
bce Died 322 bce gt Considered still one of
worlds greatest minds.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Aristotle gt Ethical
issues, including those relating to animals,
important to him.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES Aristotle gt Student
of Plato (tutor to Alexander the Great). gtHad
to flee Rome for lack of reverence for the
gods.
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Rationality separate and superior
to Emotionality Mind/body duality
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING Matter -- Inert,
no activity
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING Plants -- Take in
nutrition, grow, reproduce Matter -- Inert, no
activity
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING Animals -- All below
Motility Sensation Plants -- Take in
nutrition, grow, reproduce Matter -- Inert, no
activity
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING Slaves/children --
All below, language, no reason Animals -- All
below Motility Sensation Plants -- Take in
nutrition, grow, reproduce Matter -- Inert, no
activity
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING Free females -- All
below Little ability to Reason Slaves/children
-- All below, language, no reason Animals -- All
below Motility Sensation Plants -- Take in
nutrition, grow, reproduce Matter -- Inert, no
activity
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING Free males -- All below
Ability to Reason Free females -- All below
Little ability to Reason Slaves/children -- All
below, language, no reason Animals -- All below
Motility Sensation Plants -- Take in
nutrition, grow, reproduce Matter -- Inert, no
activity
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GREAT CHAIN OF BEING God -- Pure
Rationality/Thought Free males -- All below
Ability to Reason Free females -- All below
Little ability to Reason Slaves/children -- All
below, language, no reason Animals -- All below
Motility Sensation Plants -- Take in
nutrition, grow, reproduce Matter -- Inert, no
activity
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It is the duty of those with reason to rule those
who do not have it. If an entity is ruled by
another, then it must exist for the purposes of
others. Not accepted by all Greeks
- Pythagoras a vegetarian (might contain souls
of dead men)
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DESCARTES gt 1596 to 1650 gt I think, therefore
I am. gt Still believed to be on of
worlds greatest minds. gt World is composed of
only MATTER and INTELLECT
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BODIES HAVE NO MINDS - Mind/body
duality Descartes agreed w/ Aristotle that only
humans could be rational. Therefore, animals
only matter, like machines automata. Have
sensations, but no awareness of them.
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Thus, a writhing, screaming dog was
not experiencing pain, merely moving like
a clock. Descartes illustrated by pinning dogs
to a wall, eviscerating them and explaining to
onlookers that the dogs actions were merely
mindless responses.
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KANT gt 1724 - 1804 gt Known for treasuring
intellectual and moral integrity. gt Profound
influence on philosophical thought. gt Each
person has INTRINSIC VALUE - cant make
decisions based on utility or end result. A
GOOD END DOESNT JUSTIFY THE MEANS
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KANT Obligations to animals INDIRECT If hurt
an animal, might hurt its owner might
develop a bad habit that would lead to hurting
humans.
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KANT WHO COUNTS MORALLY? The only individuals
that count in a moral equation are those that
can reason. The basis for who counts is
rationality, not who can feel pleasure or pain.
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PETER SINGER gt Current Australian
philosopher gt Famous for Animal
Liberation gt Clear bias (brags has never been
to a farm)
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Argues that REASON is not the issue-- the
ability to SUFFER is. gt Ability to reason is
arbitrary, like skin color or sex. gt Any
animal who can suffer should be included in the
moral equation.
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Argues that REASON is not the issue-- the
ability to SUFFER is. gt Each animal in the
moral equation counts equally.
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INDIVIDUALIST The individual is the center of
value ETHICAL HEDONIST Pleasure has value,
pain has dis-value
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So disagrees with Descartes - Argues
animals can suffer Disagrees with Kant We
have DIRECT duties to animals
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BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WORDS Eating meat
vs. Eating slaughtered non-humans Meat vs.
murdered flesh Vivisection vs. surgery
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What, for instance, are we to do about genuine
conflicts of interest like rats biting slum
children? I am not sure of the answer, but the
essential point is that we do see this as a
conflict of interest, that we recognize that rats
have interests too. Peter Singer
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UTILITARIAN gt Developed by Bentham The
question is not can they reason, but can they
suffer?
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UTILITARIAN gt Developed by Bentham The
question is not can they reason, but can they
suffer? gt If count in the moral equation,
all count equally.
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UTILITARIAN gt Developed by Bentham The
question is not can they reason, but can they
suffer? gt If count in the moral equation, all
count equally. gt Resolve conflicts by summing
total pleasure vs. pain.
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Criticisms of Utilitarianism 1 2
3 4 Sum A) 3 2 4 5 14 B)
3 -3 4 6 10 Clearly A is a better
solution than B.
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1 2 3 4 Sum A) -10 -10
-10 60 30 B) 7 7 7 7
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1 2 3 4 Sum A) -10 -10
-10 60 30 B) 7 7 7 7
28 What if 1, 2 and 3 in A are tortured
kittens?
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The DISTRIBUTION problem Rich, cruel nasty
aunt Has willed her fortune to orphanage If
Utilitarian, why not kill her?
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Second problem How quantify the factors? Third
problem Summing the values leads to a
value that is the property of a GROUP, but
Utilitarian Philos honors the INDIVIDUAL.
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